Many of us dream of having a vacation home but Steve Areen stopped dreaming and built his vacation home in Thailand. He didn’t spend hundreds of thousands of dollars but instead built the home himself with friends and kept it under a budget of $9,000 and it was constructed in less than 6 weeks.
He decided to build a dome home with skills he learned from Hajjar Gibran, a designer/builder of dome homes in northeastern Thailand.
His friend Hajjar Gibran and his wife offered Areen a spot on his Mango farm to build his home.
With Hajjar’s guidance and designs along with Areen’s creative ideas, they planned the perfect home and started construction.
Hajjar offered his son-in-law who has superb masonry skills to help with the construction.
The actual cost for Steve’s home is actually only $6,000. The other 3,000 was for furniture, supplies, and landscaping materials.
The construction materials in Thailand are inexpensive which allowed him to build at such a low cost.
Doesn’t it remind you of the homes on Tatooine in the movie Star Wars? So cool.
The home is nearing completion and the extra costs will be used to paint and accent the home.
Dome homes are extremely durable and stable.
It took a lot of work but because they did most of the work themselves, it also helped keep costs within budget.
The bedroom has a solid base so only a mattress is needed.
The finished bedroom is full of textures and looks incredible.
Home sweet dome home.
It even has a rooftop hammock overlooking the mango trees.
Or relax by the backyard pond filled with freshwater lilies.
The living area overlooks the pond and lets plenty of natural light inside.
Everything is made from natural materials including this grass mat that hides the refrigerator and swing-out stove.
The bathroom contains a shower with beautiful intricate stonework surrounded by gorgeous plants.
A bamboo waterfall faucet and sink made from natural materials.
Wooden stairs lead up to the Sala (gazebo).
Steve is pictured next to his custom dome home and is proud of the awesome home he constructed.
The Sala provides a great view of the entire area and provides shelter from the sun with its thatched roof.
I can already feel how relaxing this would be…
With a home like this, every day feels like a vacation.
The beautiful door is made from 100% reclaimed mahogany and the entrance is accented with glass blocks.
So beautiful and peaceful.
Here is a video tour of his home:
If you’d like more information about how to build a home like Steve constructed, visit The Gibran Center and get information about their Dome Building Workshop. Please share this cozy dome vacation home with your friends and family.
